Allergies and Toxic Foods

Dog Food Allergies & Toxic Foods

Just as people have intolerances to foods, so can dogs. Some of the symptoms of dog food intolerances are dog diarrhea, dog vomiting and dog gas. Dog allergy symptoms include dog itching skin, usually in the hind area (flanks, tail, anal area), paws, face and ears. Again, keep an eye on any changes your dog may experience as no one knows your dog better than you.

Dog Food Allergies

It is not unusual for pet parents to believe their dog is suffering from “allergies” when in reality the cause of their problem is simply “intolerance” to poor quality ingredients that are very difficult to digest. The list of ingredients that are allowed in dog food would shock most people and can be a significant factor in a dog’s health. Once a dog has transitioned onto a cooked, whole food diet made from highly bio-available ingredients, the symptoms typically disappear. Furthermore, once a dog’s system has adjusted to a high quality, digestible food, he can move freely from one JFFD recipe to another much easier than with commercial dog food and typically without any adverse effects whatsoever.

Toxic Foods

Dogs can eat many of the same foods that people can eat but there are a few that are highly toxic for dogs. Here is a partial list of foods that are harmful – even deadly – for dogs to consume.

Onions or onion powder

Chocolate

Coffee and all coffee-related products

Tea

Alcoholic beverages/ Hops

Macadamia nuts

Grapes and raisins

Tomato foliage (leaves and stems)

Green parts of potato (green peelings, sprouts and foliage)

Rhubarb leaves

Avocado tree bark, leaves, skin of the fruit and seed of the fruit. The actual flesh of the fruit is not toxic.

Pits and seeds from fruits (plum, apricot, avocado, peach, apple and some varieties of cherries)

Bitter almonds

Moldy or spoiled foods

We also have to be aware of poisonous plants for dogs. There are some plants that dogs might eat that are toxic for dogs. For a complete list of toxic food for dogs, as well as plants, please visit www.aspca.org

Just From You

Dr. Cindy Duesberg, DVM, DACVIM

“Nutrition will always be an important aspect of maintaining a dog’s health and facilitating recovery. JustFoodForDogs offers my patients the advantage of full customization. JFFD is able to formulate to the express needs of an individual dog based on the specific health concerns. The organization is professional, caring and very responsive.”